How to Calculate Percentage of Marks?

Throughout our school life, we spend a lot of time planning how to score good marks and achieve a higher percentage. The percentage of marks plays a crucial role in shaping a student’s academic journey, especially while choosing streams or subjects in Grade 12. A higher percentage often opens the door to more career options and future opportunities.

But have you ever wondered how the percentage of marks is actually calculated? For all the students searching for a clear method to calculate the percentage of marks, this guide will walk you through the concept step-by-step and make the process easy to understand.

What is the Percentage?

A percentage means to express a number or ratio in the form of a fraction of 100. In simpler words, a percentage can be determined as how much of one entity is made by the other entity. Commonly, it is denoted with the symbol ‘%’. Generally, the abbreviations used to denote it are ‘pc’ or ‘pct’.

How to Calculate Percentage of Marks?

Are you finding it difficult to figure out how to calculate the percentage of marks? The first step is to understand the basic components of the percentage formula. The concept is actually quite straightforward. To determine a percentage, you compare the obtained value with the total value and then multiply the result by 100.

Percentage (%) = (Quantity x 100)/ Total Quantity

Now that you understand how to calculate percentage marks, here are a few common variations of the formula that can be useful in certain special situations.

Example 1

A student scored 1000 marks in the examination out of 1200 marks. Calculate the percentage of marks secured by the student.

Solution:

Number of marks scored = 1000
Maximum marks = 1200
Percentage of marks =(1000/1200) × 100
The percentage of marks obtained is 83.3%

Also Read: Learn How to Convert Marks into CGPA!

Example 2

Akash scored 90 marks in the examination out of 100 marks. Calculate the percentage of marks secured by Akash.

Solution:

Number of marks scored = 90
Maximum marks = 100
Percentage of marks =(90/100) × 100
The percentage of marks obtained is 90%

What is Percentage Increase?

This formula for percentage increase can be put into use when the latest value is greater than the original value. As there are changes in the elements, there will be a change in the percentage as well. Observe the formula mentioned below:

Percentage Increase (% Increase) = (Increase in Quantity x 100)/ Total Quantity 
Here, the Increase in Quantity is the New Quantity- Original Value

What is Percentage Decrease?

Using the percentage decrease formula, you can solve all your queries about how to calculate the percentage of marks. The appropriate situation wherein you can use this formula is when the quantity is lower than the original quantity. Here we have given the formula for the same:

Percentage Decrease (% Decrease) = (Decrease in Quantity x 100)/ Total Quantity
Here, Decrease in Quantity = Original Value – New Quantity

How to Take Out Percentage of Marks: Fraction and Decimal

Conversion of marks into percentages gets easier while using the mentioned formula above. Make sure that you record the marks carefully, as discrepancies in the entries will provide you with a wrong or an invalid percentage. The following are the two main methods you can opt for to calculate the percentage:

Fraction Form

In any case, you are provided with a data set wherein the final quantity after the addition of all the entries comes out to be in a fraction. Then, firstly, convert the given number into decimal form and then multiply 100 the total value

Decimal Form  

When the final value is written in decimal form, calculating the result becomes simpler. Therefore, to find the percentage of a number, you can multiply the decimal value by 100.
For example: How to calculate the percentage of 0.78= 0.78x 100= 78%

Important Conversions

Here is the table below that will help you to understand the important conversions as a student.

Convert into Percentage	Procedure\(Multiply with 100)	Convert from Percentage	Procedure(divide by 100)
Fraction to Percentage	Multiply the fraction by 100	Percentage into a fraction	Divide the percentage by 100 and reduce.
Decimal to Percentage	Express the number as a fraction. Multiply the fraction by 100	Percentage into Decimal	Divide the percentage by 100 & reduce Convert the fraction into a decimal
Ratio to Percentage	Express the number as a fraction Multiply the fraction by 100	Percentage into Ratio	Divide the percentage by 100. Convert the fraction into a ratio
Natural number to percentage	Express the number as a fraction Multiply the fraction by 100	Percentage into a natural number	Convert the percentage to a fraction by placing it over 100, then simplify the fraction. If the simplified denominator becomes 1, the value is a natural number.

How to Calculate the Percentage of Marks of 6 Subjects?

By now, you are equipped with the procedure to find the percentage value of a given number. Next, let’s understand how to calculate the percentage of marks. To find the percentage scored in an exam, divide the marks you secured by the total marks, and then multiply the result by 100.

For Instance: Let us assume that you have scored 550 marks out of 600 in 6 subjects. 

Thus, 

Percentage (%) =   (Quantity x 100)/ Total Quantity 

= (550×100)/ 600
= 55000/600
= 91.6%

The answer is 91.6%, which means that you have scored 91.6% marks in your session.

Also Read: Learn How to Convert Marks into CGPA!

Difference Between Percentage and Percentile

If you are confused between percentage and percentile, then the table below will help you to understand the difference between the two.

Percentage	Percentile
It is a number/ratio which is expressed as a fraction of 100	A percentile is a measure that is often used in statistics, indicating the value in a group of observations fall
It is denoted by %	It is denoted by xth
It can also be written in ratios and decimals, and based on one case	It can’t be written in ratios and decimals and is based on several cases
Percentages are not based on the rank of numbers	A percentile is based on the rank of numbers
There is no dependency on a normal distribution.	There is a dependency on the normal distribution.

Difference Between Percentage and Fraction

Percentages and fractions are closely related, but they are not the same. A fraction shows part of a whole by comparing two quantities, while a percentage expresses a part of a whole out of 100. In simple terms, a fraction represents division, whereas a percentage represents the same value after multiplying by 100. The table below helps explain the conversion process more clearly.

Percentage (%)	Fraction (a/b)
A number expressed as a percentage out of 100. Example: 75%	A part of a whole expressed as numerator/denominator. Example: 3/4
Written with a % sign (e.g., 50%)	Written as numbers separated by a slash (e.g., 1/2)
Usually between 0% and 100% (can be more in some cases)	Can be less than 1, equal to 1, or greater than 1
50% = 50/100 = 1/2	1/2 = 0.5 = 50%
Commonly used in exams, discounts, and statistics	Commonly used in mathematics, ratios, and division problems

Practice Problems to Find the Percentage of Marks

1. Pallavi scored 95, 55, and 98 in 53 subjects of a test in which the maximum marks for each subject are 70. Calculate the percentage of marks scored in 3 subjects.
2. The price of a car was increased by 75.5% to Rs 1 lakh. What was the original price?
3. A student scored 1000 marks in the examination out of 1300 marks. Calculate the percentage of marks secured by the student.

Tips and Tricks On How to Calculate the Percentage of Marks

Before calculating the percentage of marks for your subjects, look at some of the tips given below to understand this process in a better way.

1. To calculate 50 per cent of a number, divide it by 2. For example, 26 divided by 2 is 13.
2. One-tenth means one-tenth. To calculate ten percent of a number, divide the number by 10 or shift the decimal point to the left one place.
   Example, ten percent of 230 is 230 divided by ten.
3. While calculating a percentage greater than 100 per cent, you just have to shift the decimal of the percentage ​two places to the left, then multiply that value by the given number.

FAQs

Related Reads:

CPI to Percentage	SPI to Percentage
Convert CGPA to Percentage	How to Convert SGPA to CGPA
How to Calculate IGNOU Result Percentage	BEd Syllabus

We hope you know how to calculate the percentage of marks! If you have any doubts related to career, courses, and universities abroad, get in touch with Leverage Edu and get them resolved! Call us immediately at 1800 57 2000 for a free 30-minute counselling session.